The Dalai Lama famously said, “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” This is the type of self-compassion that one must practice if they are to truly heal from issues of addiction and/or mental illness in the long term. One of the ways to better attain this state of being is by utilizing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), especially utilizing CBT in day treatment.
The Prevalence of Addiction in the U.S.
Addiction remains a serious and prevalent issue in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “In 2022, 48.7 million people aged 12 or older (or 17.3%) had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the past year, including 29.5 million who had an alcohol use disorder (AUD), 27.2 million who had a drug use disorder (DUD), and 8.0 million people who had both an AUD and a DUD.”
There are also serious statistics regarding addiction and co-occurring disorders. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), “7.7 million adults have co-occurring mental and substance use disorders.” Also, “Of the 20.3 million adults with substance use disorders, 37.9% also had mental illnesses,” and “Among the 42.1 million adults with mental illness, 18.2% also had substance use disorders.” Many of these people, whether they have co-occurring disorders or not, do not seek the help they need. One of the biggest reasons for this is stigma.
According to the peer-reviewed journal Current Opinion in Psychiatry, “The prevalence of substance use disorders is increasing in the U.S. general population, but these disorders remain seriously under-treated. Stigma can reduce willingness of policy-makers to allocate resources, reduce willingness of providers in non-specialty settings to screen for and address substance abuse problems, and may limit willingness of individuals with such problems to seek treatment. All of these factors may help explain why so few individuals with substance use disorders receive treatment.” Another issue why people aren’t getting the help they need is that they are not being connected with the proper recovery centers.
The Importance of Individualized Treatment Plans
Individualized addiction and mental health care are crucial if one is going to heal at the molecular level. It is only logical that to get the adequate care that one needs, all of their issues need to be addressed.
The fact of the matter is that the recovery industry is a billion-dollar industry, and not all treatment centers are created equally. Unfortunately, some players focus more on financial gain than on the well-being of their clients. These recovery centers tend to offer overarching “one-size-fits-all” treatment plans that don’t address every client’s needs. Also, these recovery plans lack the type of comprehensive modalities that are required to heal the whole mind-body.
The Importance of Comprehensive Treatment Plans
Comprehensive treatment is all about taking a multi-angled approach to recovery. This means utilizing means, methods, and modalities from all avenues of recovery. Now, this includes utilizing tools from the psychotherapeutic realm, like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). It also means various types of experiential therapies like nature immersion therapy and art therapy. Lastly, one should also take advantage of holistic healing practices like massage, yoga, reiki, and mindfulness meditation.
Comprehensive treatment can also be utilized in many different settings. It can be used in residential addiction and mental health care facilities where people require 24/7 attention. Comprehensive treatment can also be used in day treatment programs where people have more freedom to come and go as they participate in their recovery.
Better Understanding Day Treatment
Day treatment is an ideal treatment for those who require intense treatment but also need to keep one foot in their everyday lives. Now, this does not mean that this type of treatment is any less focused or enthusiastic. It just means that one does not require inpatient status.
Day treatment also takes a lot of work. One must dedicate at least eight hours a day for at least five days a week to their treatment at a minimum. This is because success also relies on connecting to recovery networks and recovery communities like those that focus on the Twelve Steps.
Day treatment also utilizes all the modalities that are used in other treatment settings. This includes individualized therapies, group therapies, family therapies, and trauma therapies.
Also, regarding trauma therapy, many people don’t realize just how much trauma affects people throughout their day-to-day lives. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychological Medicine, “The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines a traumatic event (TE) as exposure to threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence. Such exposure may occur directly or indirectly by witnessing the event, learning of the event occurring to a loved one, or repeated confrontation with aversive details of such event (e.g. emergency responders).” Also, “Exposure to TEs is a prerequisite for the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is also associated with a wide range of other adverse mental and physical health outcomes.”
PTSD is also a serious and prevalent issue in the U.S. and around the world. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the National Center for PTSD, “About 6 out of every 100 people (or 6% of the U.S. population) will have PTSD at some point in their lives… About 5 out of every 100 adults (or 5%) in the U.S. has PTSD in any given year. In 2020, about 13 million Americans had PTSD.” The good news is there are many effective treatment modalities for PTSD and other issues of mental health and addiction.
Effective Treatment Modalities in Day Treatment
There are many effective means, methods, and modalities used in day treatment to help individuals achieve the type of long-term recovery success that is desired. This includes using many different types of therapies, physical activities, spiritual practices, and holistic healing methods.
It should also be noted that some individuals require a safe and secure detox prior to going through day treatment. There are also those who may require pharmacological treatments like the use of mood stabilizers and anti-depressants. Regardless of whether or not the previous two options are utilized, most people in day treatment will use and benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Utilizing CBT in Day Treatment
CBT is one of the most highly effective evidence-based psychotherapies being utilized today. One of the reasons for this is that many studies have been performed on its efficacy.
CBT has been utilized to treat many different types of issues for over 60 years. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, by Doctors Chand, Kuckel, and Huecker, “In the 1960s, Aaron Beck developed cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) or cognitive therapy. Since then, it has been extensively researched and found to be effective in a large number of outcome studies for psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and personality disorders. It also has been demonstrated to be effective as an adjunctive treatment to medication for serious mental disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.”
Utilizing CBT can be particularly effective for those individuals who struggle to get to the underlying issues of their behaviors. The therapy is all about changing the negative way one views oneself and the world around them.
Ultimately, utilizing CBT helps to change negative behaviors. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cognitive Therapy and Research, “Consistent with the medical model of psychiatry, the overall goal of treatment is symptom reduction, improvement in functioning, and remission of the disorder. To achieve this goal, the patient becomes an active participant in a collaborative problem-solving process to test and challenge the validity of maladaptive cognitions and to modify maladaptive behavioral patterns… Although these strategies greatly emphasize cognitive factors, physiological, emotional, and behavioral components are also recognized for the role that they play in the maintenance of the disorder.” Also, utilizing CBT is greatly aided when utilizing other treatments.
Utilizing CBT With Other Means, Methods, and Modalities
CBT’s efficacy is increased when other types of treatments are used with it in tandem. This includes therapies that focus on the mental and the emotional self, activities that focus on the physical self, and holistic healing methods that focus on the psychic and the spiritual.
CBT can also be greatly aided by other types of psychotherapies. This includes dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
Utilizing CBT and Other Therapies
DBT started with a primary focus but has since expanded to treat many different types of mental health issues and addictions. According to the peer-reviewed journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), “Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD). The patient populations for which DBT has the most empirical support include parasuicidal women with borderline personality disorder (BPD), but there have been promising findings for patients with BPD and substance use disorders (SUDs), persons who meet criteria for binge-eating disorder, and depressed elderly patients.”
DBT and CBT also work well when integrated into group therapy. According to the peer-reviewed thesis, Group Therapy, by Doctors Malhotra and Baker, “[Group therapy] can be used to treat a variety of conditions including but not limited to emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” This type of therapy is also an ideal type of therapy to help people connect with others who have shared experiences, something that is particularly helpful for those struggling with addiction. Another helpful type of therapy is experiential therapy.
Utilizing CBT and Experiential Therapies
Experiential therapy is true to what its name expresses; it is about experiences rather than discussion (though that is part of it too). One of the most common types of experiential therapies is nature-immersion therapy.
It has long been known that nature can be highly beneficial for recovery. According to the National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression while promoting a sense of well-being and fulfillment.” Also, “Physical activity in a green space can reduce stress and lower cortisol levels by 15%.”
Nature immersion also offers many other benefits. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Besides physical health improvements, nature exposure can bring about positive influence upon psychological constructs such as boredom, friendliness, well-being, and liveliness. However, across more than one hundred studies on nature/wildlife exposure, stress mitigation has been shown to be one of the most consistent and important psychological benefits.” Also, “Besides improvements to physical and psychological well-being, exposure to natural environments has been shown to bring about positive impacts on cognitive functioning.”
Another type of effective experiential therapy is art therapy. This is different than the previous type in that it focuses on creative output rather than physical activity. According to the peer-reviewed journal Cureus, “Art therapy refers to various treatments, such as theatre therapy, dance movement psychotherapy, body psychotherapy, music therapy, and drawing, painting and craft therapy.” Also, “Art therapy uses artistic means to treat mental illnesses and improve mental health… Art therapy uses integrative techniques to captivate the soul, body, and mind in ways that verbal expression alone doesn’t appear to.”
CBT can also benefit from modalities that are outside the realm of psychotherapies or experiential therapies. It can benefit from being used alongside holistic healing methods like yoga and meditation.
Utilizing CBT With Yoga Therapy and Meditation
Yoga and meditation have been practiced for thousands of years. Originally, they were utilized solely as religious or spiritual practices, but they are now utilized in many different areas. Most recently, they are being used to help people recover from issues of mental health and addiction.
The benefits of yoga are so vast that they can be hard to quantify. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Therapeutic yoga is defined as the application of yoga postures and practice to the treatment of health conditions and involves instruction in yogic practices and teachings to prevent reduce or alleviate structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering or limitations… [Y]ogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.”
Meditation can also be practiced in tandem with yoga or on its own. Regardless, it’s extremely helpful for issues of mental health and addiction. According to the International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda (AYU), “During the process of meditation, accumulated stresses are removed, energy is increased, and health is positively affected overall. Research has confirmed a myriad of health benefits associated with the practice of meditation. These include stress reduction, decreased anxiety, decreased depression, reduction in pain (both physical and psychological), improved memory, and increased efficiency.”
When all of these different means, methods, and modalities are utilized alongside CBT, the chances for long-term recovery go up exponentially. Ultimately, that is the goal: long-term recovery success.
Our Primary Purpose: Long-Term Success at NorthStar Recovery Center
The Dalai Lama also famously said, “It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come.” That is also our goal at NorthStar Recovery Center: long-term success.
At NorthStar Recovery Center, we believe in long-term success over short-term “fixes.” This is why we only offer the best individualized and comprehensive treatment plans that utilize CBT and focus on the future.
The key to a successful recovery is to remember that it is about the journey rather than the destination. That journey can start right here at NorthStar Recovery Center. There is hope. We can help.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is currently the most utilized psychotherapy for issues of addiction and mental illness. That is why it can be highly beneficial to know what CBT is, who it can help, what the process looks like, and how it can be an essential component of day treatment. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of addiction, mental illness, or co-occurring disorders, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to go through this alone. For more information about the benefits of CBT for long-term recovery, please reach out to NorthStar Recovery Center today at (888) 311-0911.